Sam, Patagonian Cavy, Rescued by Popcorn Park

About 4 years ago, the SPCA called Popcorn Park for some help at a house from which they were taking small dogs who lived in horrible conditions. While taking the dogs out, an officer called from another room; he found a strange animal in a 2x3 filthy cage.

We went in and found a Civet, (now our Jenny), in a cage that hadn't been cleaned in weeks. She was living in her own feces and old food. Downstairs in a darkened basement, in another small cage, was a Coatimundi, (now our Cocoa.) We took them both, along with the dogs, back to Popcorn Park.

In the man's backyard was a Patagonian Cavy*, for which the owner had a permit. We called NJ Fish and Wildlife, and they told us he could keep it. Last week, in September 2009, the owner called and asked for some help. His mother had passed away and he wanted to get rid of some of the "pets".

When we got there we found 3 turtles in a rubbermaid storage container in middle of the yard in direct sunlight. We reached in, and the water was well over 90 degrees. The owner wanted to keep them, so we cleaned the water and put them in the shade.

Pictured is Sam at Popcorn Park, where her ears are being treated.

He showed us the Cavy, kept in an 8 x 6' barren pen with no shade. Her ears were chewed down more then half way from fly bites and were bleeding, plus her bottom teeth were 4 inches overgrown. We came back with a carrier and took her, and happily, we were also able to talk the owner out of keeping the turtles.

Sam is healing and much happier in her new home.

The Cavy is much more comfortable with us now, but ideally, this should have and could have been done 4 years ago. However, we are happy she is with us now, at last. Sam's ears are covered with antibiotic spray in the photo above to help them heal and stop the bleeding. She has settled in in a comfy enclosure with plenty of straw and lots of shade. Sam can also be sponsored on the Wildlife Clubwhere she would be happy to have some sponsors.

* What is a Patagonian Cavy? This is a relatively large member of the rodent family, native only to central and southern Argentina, where they live in grasslands. They are the closest relative to the guinea pig!